Major General Robert Patterson, (USA)

Major General Robert Patterson, (USA)

• http://www.historycentral.com/Bio/UGENS/USAPatterson.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Patterson
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/12941/robert_patterson

General Patterson was born on January 12, 1792, in City Tyrone, Ireland. He and his father, who was banished from Ireland for insurrection, immigrated to the United States in 1798. As a young man, Patterson went into the banking business in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

He fought in the War of 1812, and left the military in June of 1815 in order to begin a wholesale business in Pennsylvania. A Jacksonian Democrat, he became influential in Pennsylvania politics, and extended his business interests to the West and South. Patterson fought in the Mexican War, as a major general of volunteers, and served on Gen. Winfield Scott's staff. Patterson returned to business until the Civil War, obtaining a sugar plantation in Louisiana and 30 cotton mills in Pennsylvania.

When the Civil War began, General Scott mustered him into the Union volunteer service. Commissioned major general of Pennsylvania volunteers, he was placed in command of the Department of Pennsylvania. In May of 1861, Patterson responded timidly and poorly to instructions from Scott to retake the US arsenal at Harpers Ferry. His failure to act effectively gave Confederates the opportunity to evacuate the arsenal, destroy the buildings and join the main Confederate army at Manassas. Scott ordered Patterson to be relieved of command. Patterson received an honorable discharge on July 27, 1861, only three months after he was commissioned. After the Civil War, he wrote a booklet, "A Narrative of the Campaign in the Valley of the Shenandoah in 1861," (1865), and worked on his business interests. Patterson died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 7, 1881.
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Robert Patterson was a United States major general during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War. During the onset of the latter, he commanded a brief engagement with Colonel Thomas J. Jackson on July 2, 1861, at the Battle of Hoke's Run and produced an early Union victory. His inability to contain a smaller Confederate army under General Joseph E. Johnston within the Shenandoah Valley was a proximate cause for the Union Army's defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run, but among Johnston's stated reasons for avoiding pursuit of the shattered Union Army as it fled in retreat to Washington, the size, integrity and mobility of Patterson's Army is prominent. Shortly after First Bull Run, the three-month term of the volunteers who comprised a majority of his army expired, Patterson was honorably discharged with them, and his active military career ended.

Early life and War of 1812

Patterson was born in Cappagh, County Tyrone, Ireland. His family was banished from Ireland due to his father's involvement as an insurrectionist. In 1799 he emigrated to the United States, where he eventually became involved in banking at a young age. Patterson received his education in public schools and afterward became a clerk in a Philadelphia counting house. He volunteered for service during the War of 1812 and rose from captain to colonel in the 2nd Pennsylvania Militia before joining the United States Army. He served in the Quartermaster General Department and was discharged in 1815 as a captain. After the war, he became influential in politics in Pennsylvania.

Mexican-American War service

Patterson was commissioned a major general of volunteers at the outbreak of the Mexican-American War and commanded the 2nd Division, Army of Occupation, during the Tampico Expedition. He was considered for command of the expedition to Veracruz which eventually went to Winfield Scott. He was, however, placed in command of the expedition's Volunteer Division and saw action during the Siege of Veracruz and at the Battle of Cerro Gordo, where he was wounded. He led the American pursuit of the Mexican Army and was the first to enter Jalapa. While the U.S. Army was stationed at Jalapa, Patterson returned to the U.S. with other volunteer units whose enlistment time had expired. He then resumed his business interests in Pennsylvania, where he acquired 30 cotton mills and became quite wealthy. He again was an influential figure in Philadelphia politics.

Civil War service

The American Civil War brought Patterson back to military service. He was appointed major general of Pennsylvania volunteers and commanded the Department of Pennsylvania and the Army of the Shenandoah. In 1861, Winfield Scott, now General-in-Chief of the U.S. Army, gave Patterson vague orders to retake Harpers Ferry. Patterson failed to immediately act on these orders, was outmaneuvered after the Battle of Hoke's Run, and a Confederate army at Winchester, Virginia, under Brig. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, was able to march without interference to reinforce the Confederates at the First Battle of Bull Run. Patterson, widely criticized for his failure to contain the enemy forces, was mustered out of the Army in late July 1861.

Postbellum life

Patterson again returned to his cotton milling business and wrote a book, A Narrative of the Campaign in the Valley of the Shenandoah, in 1861, published in 1865. He was also President of the Aztec Club of 1847 from 1867 to 1881 and was a Companion of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States.

Patterson died in Philadelphia and is buried there in Laurel Hill Cemetery. His son Francis Engle Patterson and his son-in-law John Joseph Abercrombie were both Union generals during the American Civil War. United States Army General. Major General in the Mexican War. He commanded troops that fought in conjunction with Winfield Scott during Scott's brilliant march to Mexico City, and commanded a division at the Battle of Cerro Gordo (April 17- 18, 1847). He successfully protected the American base at Vera Cruz from attacking Mexican forces. Again made a Major General at the start of the Civil War, he was given the responsibility to hold Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston's forces from joining the main CSA army in the First Bull Run campaign. He failed to do this, and Johnston's re-enforcement of Confederate troops already engaged at the battle helped to turn the tide against the Union Army. His two sons were Union Brigadier General Francis E. Patterson, and Union Brevet Brigadier General Robert E. Patterson, both of whom are burid next to him.*

Name Robert Patterson
Enlistment Age 69
Birth Date 17 Jan 1792
Birth Place County Tyrone, Ireland
Enlistment Date 15 Apr 1861
Enlistment Rank Major General
Muster Date 15 Apr 1861
Muster Regiment U.S. Volunteers General Staff
Muster Information Commission
Muster Out Date 27 Jul 1861
Muster Out Information Mustered Out
Side of War Union
Survived War? Yes
Was Officer? Yes
Death Date 7 Aug 1881
Death Place Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Additional Notes Prior service in US Army from 10/02/1812 until 06/15/1815; then 1846 to 1848
Title Heitman: Register of United States Army 1789-1903; Dyer: A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion; Generals in Blue, Lives of the Union Commanders; Photo courtesy of Massachusetts Commandery of MOLLUS

Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Mar 2 2020, 20:23:16 UTC